Creating Engaging Headlines for Direct Email Campaigns

Creating engaging headlines for direct email campaigns can be a tricky business. The sheer influx of emails in everyone’s inbox these days makes it tough to stand out from the crowd. We have tips for making your headlines work for you by avoiding clickbait and messaging that no longer works.

Choose your questions wisely

Not all direct email CTAs are created equal. The difference in how you ask your question after delivering informative, educational content about your product or service can make or break whether your customer contacts your organization. Using a question that requires more than a “yes” or “no” is one of the ways to achieve this goal. For example: “How do you measure your company’s success?” versus “Do you measure your company’s success?” Asking your customers “how” versus “do” leaves the opportunity for your company to be their solution.

Stand-out language is key

When you’re crafting your email, don’t play it safe. You’re competing against the other 90 emails the average office worker receives daily. A punchy headline that gets to the point grabs your audience’s attention and helps you stay ahead of your competition.

Marketing Manager David Sheen from Essayroo and Academized sums this up nicely:

“Creating a headline that keeps your reader engaged and wanting to take action like opening an envelope or an email is something of an art form. There are many formulas to consider, but a good place to start is looking at every single word and seeing if you can improve on the existing idea you’ve come up with.”

Avoid making simple mistakes

Any spelling or grammatical issue in a subject line can spell catastrophe for your open rate. It immediately shines a negative light on your company and may deter readers from opening your email. All of your hard work becomes moot.

Email marketing has its challenges, but if done correctly it opens the door to customers from all backgrounds and starts the process of building relationships with your audience. By following these simple rules, you’re creating headlines that give you a better shot of a higher open rate, which generates opportunities for conversions down the line.